Stop hyperventilating: 5 airport security screening tips

The peak holiday travel season is upon us. At the same time, the media frenzy surrounding new airport security measures has hit a peak. I’ve cut through the hype and come up with five tips (and pics!) travelers need to know about airport screening:

1) RELAX! Despite the media hullabaloo, chances are that you won’t face a full body scan or pat down at all in coming weeks. Full body scanners are currently deployed at only 70 of 450 airports across the country. At those 70 airports, most security lanes are using more good old-fashioned magnetometers (metal detectors) than the newer (and more controversial) full body scanners. Also, know that every single passenger does NOT get the new enhanced pat down. Only those who set off the metal detector, appear to have an anomaly on their body during a full body scan, or those who refuse a full body scan are subject to a pat down.

2) BAY AREA AIRPORTS. In the Bay Area, San Jose airport appears to have the most widespread use of full body scanners.

>At SJC Terminals A and B there are 16 security lanes (total) and eight full body scanners, which means one scanner for each pair of lanes.

>SFO uses nine full body scanners scattered across a total of 44 lanes. There’s at least one at each multi-lane checkpoint, except the one near Gate 75 (at the far left end of United’s Terminal 3, which is usually reserved for first, business and elite level frequent flyers only).

>Oakland International airport has two security checkpoints with a total of 15 security lanes. There’s one full body scanner in Terminal 1 and four in Terminal 2 (used by Southwest).

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3) PLAN AHEAD. Remember that you now have to remove EVERYTHING from your pockets to get through security. To avoid last minute forgetfulness or hassles (such as the dreaded full-body pat down), prepare for security BEFORE you leave for the airport. Put cell phone, keys, wristwatch, jewelry, pocket change, handkerchief, Kleenex or anything else in your pockets into a Ziploc bag. Your wallet should also go in the Ziploc, but remove your photo ID first and keep that in your pocket, along with your boarding pass for review as you enter the security area. Pack the Ziploc in an easily accessible outer pocket of your carry on. Once you get to your gate, pull out the Ziploc and re-assemble.

4) LOOK AHEAD. When entering the security screening area, look ahead and try to determine which lanes are using magnetometers and which are using full body scanners. Try to aim for a line using a magnetometer. This won’t guarantee that you’ll avoid the full body scanner because TSA agents could ask you to move to a different line at the last minute– but that’s rare.

5) KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR. Below are images of a magnetometer, a millimeter wave scanner and a backscatter scanner. Remember, aim for the line with the magnetometer (or metal detector).

This is a magnetometer or metal detector. Try to aim for a security line using this.

Backscatter full-body scanners in use at airports in San Jose and Oakland.

A millimeter wave scanner similar to those in use at San Francisco International SFO.